Xabi Alonso set to hand Real Madrid fringe player a rare start vs Espanyol

All eyes will be on Real Madrid tonight as they kickstart their Champions League campaign at home, taking on French club Marseille.

Heading into this game, Xabi Alonso himself has highlighted the importance of winning the Champions League this season, but the new Real Madrid coach is already thinking ahead.

As the congested fixtures begin to roll in this month, Alonso is already drawing up plans to rotate his squad and one of the beneficiaries could be Fran Garcia.

Fran Garcia to start vs Espanyol

According to Defensa Central, Garcia is poised for a start later this weekend when Real Madrid take on Espanyol at Santiago Bernabeu.

This will be a rare opportunity for the Spanish left-back, who has fallen behind new signing Alvaro Carreras in the pecking order.

Despite his encouraging performances at the FIFA Club World Cup, the left-back has racked up only 22 minutes of league action so far. But that could change against Espanyol.

Xabi Alonso informed Garcia during yesterday’s training session that he will start this weekend. “The idea is that you’ll start that match,” he told the player.

This will be an excellent opportunity for Garcia to make a strong impression and position himself as a trusted alternative to Carreras.

Alonso, after all, will be aware of the fact that Carreras won’t be able to play all season and will require rest every now and then.

Garcia, to that end, is well placed to take advantage of Alonso’s rotation policy. A couple of strong performances, in fact, could go a long way in helping the defender preserve his future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

All eyes, therefore, will be on Fran Garcia this weekend as he looks to make an impact in a rare starting opportunity.